Now they’re gone.
NS had updated and upgraded the locomotives over the years with great pride, often sending them to pull executive trains where needed and drawing railfans’ attention in the process. This took them to such events as the Masters’ golf tournament in Georgia, the Kentucky Derby, and for excursions with employees.
In a move to simplify its locomotive fleet, NS sold F9A No. 270 and F7B No. 275 to the Reading & Northern Railroad in Northeastern Pennsylvania, while F9A No. 271 and F7B No. 276 are headed to the Aberdeen, Carolina & Western, in North Carolina. It’s expected that the locomotives will be preserved and operated to the highest of standards — but it won’t be the same.
The public may have taken for granted that NS’ tuscan red passenger cars and F units were perfect peas in a pod that — because they looked timeless — would stand the test of time and be kept on. But those locomotives, as are the multi-colored heritage locomotive that NS rosters, were the vision of former NS CEO and railfan Wick Moorman. “Uncle Wick” has long since retired from the railroad and this change is proof of what a good thing we had when he was in charge.
In a railroad climate dominated by a drive for profits through Precision Scheduled Railroading and a demand for regulations for such things as positive train control — the F units are a luxury from a different era — even if only from 15 years ago.
